A mish-mosh.

This is the beginning of what I am going to call, a “mish-mosh” post. 

It is going to be completely random, but wonderfully random.

Let the randomness begin!!

Last week (which means that I am a week overdue for posting this..) my dear friend Tiffany, sent me a fun package. 

(To tell you the truth, I think she is trying to make up for the time in second grade, when she wouldn’t pack me in her suitcase so I could stow-away on her family trip to Hawaii.  Shhhh!  Don’t tell her I’m onto it.)

(Wink, Wink.)

I was thankful for the mid-winter pick-me-up, not to mention the new-found motivation to bake something!!  Bake anything!!

Wouldn’t these inspire YOU to bake?

But that is not all…

Oh no, because it never is all for me…

I was tickled to read the small print on her tag:

“Thank you for supporting handmade!”

Loved it..

(Thanks again Tiffany!! xo)

My family was thankful for the cupcakes that these darling hot pads undoubtedly inspired.

(See..  you want some of those hot pads too, so you will have the sudden desire to make cupcakes..  am I right?  Or am I sooo right?)

The problem was (or shall I say IS), Peyton (bless her heart) loves these darling hot pads as well.  Forget the obviously “trying to be” hot pads that came with her toy pot and pan set this Christmas…  these are the real deal, and they are cute, face it!

(Have I mentioned how cute they are yet?!")

As soon as I finished with my little photo shoot with the darling hot pads, I set them aside while I mixed my cupcake batter.  I popped them into the oven hoping they might bake just a little faster than usual just so I could use the hot pads sooner.

Peyton had fun during the waiting period though.  She was baking a concoction of her own in her little kitchen, enjoying those darling hot pads.  When she got side tracked, I immediately retrieved my sweet hot pads, and returned them, lovingly, to their new home in my kitchen.  Then I proceeded to wait…

That was the most painfully painful 25 minute wait.

As the kitchen timer went off, the hot pads were nowhere to be found!  (Again.)

It was quite tragic that I had to resort to using the ugly “old” hot pads of mine, they were totally fine the day before, but now..  they weren’t so good.

As soon as those cupcakes were safely out of the oven, in a safe, cool place where they wouldn’t overcook and get all dry, I set out about finding those darling hot pads.

You’ll never guess where I found them..

Under Peyton’s pillow.

It’s a good thing there are two of them. ;)

Speaking of good things…  my friend Em is hosting an auction with some pretty sweet stuff on her blog this week.

Em had her son early and he just couldn’t stay here with us.  All funds raised will go directly to the March of Dimes.

We have all benefitted from this organization, let’s help support her team!

And the last random thing I can pull out of the air today would be that it is “Template Tuesday” at Digi Lovely.

Make sure you read all the great things that can happen to you when you download this FREE template, create with it, and share on Jessica Sprague.  I mean, really, great things.

Oh, P and S…  I am pretty sure the randomness just ended.

Post edit of epic proportions!!

I nearly forgot..

Okay, so I totally forgot.

Go to my friend Tiffany’s Etsy store and check out what other darling goodies she makes.

Support handmade!!!

Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes.

I cannot take credit whatsoever for these delicious treats.
My friend Emily shared this a while ago on her blog and I knew I had to try them out.
Well worth it I may say…
I did have to make an alteration, but trust me, still incredibly yummy.
I used my tried and true, but not from scratch (GASP!!) favorite box mix, and made this frosting.  Now mind you, I had no whipping cream (that smelled good, I am crazy about that), so I used a can of sweetened condensed milk instead (and licked the can clean!).  It worked out fantastically!
Caramel Frosting
1/2 cup butter or 1 stick
1/3 cup whipping cream (the real stuff)
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
melt the butter, cream and sugar in a medium pot over medium heat. The recipe said to just heat until the sugar dissolves, but I liked the results better if you heat just till boiling point, let it simmer for like 1 minute more after that..pour hot caramel in a mixing bowl, and mix on low speed for about 1 minute, then add 2 cups of powdered sugar, one at a time or the sugar will fly everywhere. Mix until smooth. The frosting will still be some what warm. That's okay. This stuff sets up really fast.
I used my uneven spatula, trying to get the tops all pretty and such, the frosting was still so warm, that It just coated, so prettily the top of each cupcake.  It was no work at all.
(My family also licked the bowl of frosting clean.)
I also had no sea salt, so I cannot testify to that particular flavor explosion, but these were oh so good!
Thanks Emily for sharing your little bit of found heaven!

Comfort: Cinnamon Rolls

I know that we all crave comfort foods at times, and those times are usually when we are feeling under the weather.
Ever since Peyton (my 2 year old) decided to be super sweet and share her cold with me, I have been needing some of that comfort.
It also helps that a friend brought over cinnamon rolls and we (and when I say “we” I really mean “I”) just kind of didn’t get enough..
This recipe is the one my mom has used for her cinnamon rolls since, well, ever.  This is the one that hits the spot where comfort and familiarity in concerned.
So the other day, when I was feeling in need of some comfort, I popped a couple of reds, a blue or two, washed all the germs from my hands and made me some..

Sweet Dough
1 tablespoon sugar
2-3 tablespoons yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup oil or soft shortening
7- 7 1/2 cups flour
Stir yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar into the warm water.  Set aside.  Mix together in a saucepan: milk, sugar, salt, oil, and eggs.  Whisk while heating until quite warm but not too hot.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl and add yeast mixture.  Mix together and then add the flour, just a little at a time until a smooth dough forms.  Knead lightly on a floured surface.  Let rise until double.  Bake finished product at 375.
Now when I do cinnamon rolls, I roll this dough out on a floured surface until it is 1/2 inch thick.  I spread melted butter over the entire piece of dough, then top very generously with: brown sugar, then cinnamon, then white sugar.  My mom adds raisins, but because I detest them in everything but Chex mix and Rasin bran, I leave them out.  Roll the dough up into a long roll, and cut about 1 1/2 inch sections.  Place in a greased baking pan and let rise again.  Bake for about 20-25 minutes at the above temperature, or until the tops are nice and golden brown.

While these are baking, I start the frosting.  I used to use my plain old buttercreme, but have since fell in love with cream cheese icing on these.
Cream Cheese Icing
3/4 pound butter, softened
1 pound cream cheese
dash of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 pound powdered sugar (maybe a little more)
Cream together the butter and cream cheese.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.  Add more powdered sugar until you get the desired consistency.
Let the cinnamon rolls cool to touch and then spread on the frosting.

I do not recommend eating one while typing though. ;)

For the love of Peanut Butter! (Peanut Butter Cupcakes)

Have I ever before mentioned how our little family embraces everything peanut, especially when it is paired with chocolate?
Well, we do.  It was a pre-requisite to be in our family.
I set out to find a perfect chocolate cupcake recipe, and went to the most dependable gal on planet earth when it comes to recipes for tasty things (Ina Garten) and I not only found a chocolate cupcake recipe, but an amazing peanut butter frosting recipe.
Now, let me first say that the cupcake recipe, I wasn’t head over heels for.  It wasn’t nearly as moist as her other cake recipes are, maybe I should tweak it just a little bit, I dunno, but I used my favorite boxed (gasp!) mix for these bad boys.
(Fav boxed mix by the way is Betty Crocker Triple chocolate fudge mix, I sub the oil for a stick of butter and decrease the water to 1 1/4 cups instead of 1 1/3.)
The frosting was divine!
Merrill, who is expert taste-tester, and aficionado of peanut butter/chocolate combos, gave this treat two thumbs up (with his mouth full).
Peanut Butter Frosting
(so she calls it “icing”..  whatever..)

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth
And then pipe (or smear) it onto something yummy (like chocolate cupcakes), and prepare to enter heaven.
P.S. I also topped my cupcakes with some chopped nuts, just to let people kinda know what was in them.  Oh, and it looked cute too.

Scrumptious: Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes

This was the treat I made for Family Home Evening this week.
I also made them, slightly different, for Ashley’s pre-school class.  They had a letter “P" on top instead of the heart.  They are learning about the letter “P” this week.
They were really quite cute.
Quite tasty too..
I am a boxed cake mix kind of girl.  Sometimes, but not very often, I will make one from scratch, but I have perfected the box mix, and I choose to stick with it.
For these I used a triple chocolate fudge super moist mix (and it was goooood).  I usually go for the devil’s food, but Merrill isn’t a huge fan of chocolate, so I thought I would go a little lighter on him with the chocolatey-ness of the cake, since it was gonna hit him in the topping. :)
I have taken to using these nut cups instead of the traditional liner, and I love them!  I can set them all on my huge cookie sheet and fill them, baking more at a time and they turn out perfect and cute!
After I let them cool, I dipped just the tops in Ganache that hasn’t been whipped yet. 
For those who haven’t enjoyed Ganache yet, try it, tomorrow.  I would promise to bring you some, but I would probably eat it all before I got to you.
It is that good.
It’s equal parts of a good chocolate (I like semi-sweet) and whipping cream.  You heat the cream (don’t boil it) and then put your chocolate (chopped up) in it.  Let it sit for a few minutes, then stir in the chocolate, letting it all melt.  Let it cool longer in the fridge (but not so it is set up and hard).  I let mine set for about an hour, then mixed it using my mixer until it was nice and smooth.  Then I dipped the cupcakes.  I put the Ganache back in the fridge and let it chill a bit longer, then whipped it up the rest of the way and piped the tops using my favorite tip (Wilton 1M).
I took a tip from Bridget when it came to my toppers.
I melted white candy melts in my handy-dandy squeeze bottle(both are found at any craft store) and squeezed that onto waxed paper.  For the Ps I had a piece of paper with the perfect Ps to trace underneath the waxed paper, for the hearts it was all free-hand baby..  and while the chocolate was still soft, topped them.   I used crystallized sugar on my hearts (shown here) but used Valentine colored non-parelis (sprinkles) on the Ps.  Let those harden up and transfer them to the cupcakes.
They tasted so good!
In fact, there is one left in the fridge, and I have a book to finish!

Favorite cake: Mom's Chocolate Layer Cake

Well, one of my favs..
I had to have this one for my birthday today.
Like, really.

Mom's Chocolate Layer Cake

favorite chocolate cake (I like Devil's Food)
1small tub Cool Whip
2 bars Baker's unsweetened German chocolate
3/4 cup margarine

Bake cake according to recipe, cool, and cut so you have 4 layers.
Melt 1 1/2 bars of chocolate with margarine over low heat in a small saucepan.  Let cool in the fridge until spreadable, not too runny but not thick.
Start layering your cake..  bottom layer gets a coating of chocolate, then a layer of cake.  Cool whip goes on top, then another layer of cake.  Chocolate comes next, then the last layer of cake.  Top it off with Cool Whip and some shavings from the remaining half of the chocolate bar.  Let it set up in the fridge before serving.

This is also good for breakfast. ;)

Homemade bread..

I love warm, fresh, homemade bread...
Talk about fond memories from my childhood.
The girls and I made some today for the fun of it, you know, no school and all...
I used my favorite recipe, one that my best friend's mom used.  I loved being at their house.  We had a blast there, and it was a bonus if it was bread making day!

I like it the regular way, but it is really good making it the whole wheat alternative.  I usually half the recipe, my family is not as big as theirs was, and I do love my carbs, but if I ate four loaves of bread, with butter....
Let's not go there.
And a slice of whole wheat, fresh out of the toaster with butter..  forget about it.....

LeAnn's Bread

2 tablespoons yeast
1 cup warm water
13 cups flour
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
3 1/2 cups milk (may use dry milk, I like to, it's how you can use what you store!)
2 eggs, well beaten

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Put in large mixing bowl and add milk, sugar, salt, and oil.  Stir to dissolve.  Add well beaten eggs and mix.  Add flour, four cups at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add enough flour to make a stiff dough.  Knead 15-20 minutes.  Place in an oiled bowl and let rise until double.  Punch down and knead five more minutes.  Divide into four parts, shape into loaves, and place in pans.  Let rise until double in size, again, and then bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes.

WHOLE WHEAT:  Use six cups whole wheat flour and six cups white flour.  3 1/2 cups water instead of milk, and brown sugar instead of white sugar.

Carrot Cookies..

It's that time of the month again..
Flavor of the Month has been so much fun to do!!
This month is "Cookies".
While I have many cookie recipes that are my "favorite", I thought I would share one of my childhood favorites, and try to get my kidlets into them too.

Orange Carrot Cookies

3/4 cup shortening
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla (I tried Almond extract in them and mmm..  yummy!)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooked, mashed carrot

Cream shortening and sugar together.  Add the egg and mix well.  Add in the dry ingredients, vanilla, and carrot, finish mixing.
Place by teaspoon fulls (I use my smallest scooper) on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.

Then comes the icing..

4 tablespoons butter (or margarine) softened
3 tablespoons orange juice
zest from half an orange
pinch of salt
powdered sugar

Mix all and add powdered sugar until it reaches a thick, but not too runny consistency.
Ice the cookies while still warm.

Now, I LOVE and ADORE carrots..  I have my entire life.  I have given them credit for my great eyesight..  until my late twenties when I had to get reading glasses..
These cookies were a favorite of mine when I was little and I still love them now!  My kids like carrots.  Especially with dip.  But this is not the same thing..  they gave me some interesting looks while making them, so I knew it would be fun getting them to just try them out.  Merrill even gave them a whirl, he was the one giving the weirdest looks by far.  He said they were "okay"..  and he doesn't like much of anything.  In fact, I am still trying to figure out why he likes me! ;)

A little force was necessary on the part of the kiddos trying them out....  :D

Traditions: Spritz Cookies (AKA Press Cookies)

So the licorice caramels are very yummy..  especially if you enjoy black licorice.
Lessons I learned:
Use licorice oil or Anise oil.
I used Anise extract.  Not the same thing.
I used the WHOLE BOTTLE to get the right flavor.
Did I mention they are yummy?
We have been doing a lot of baking this last week.
- Cupcakes
- Mints
- Dipped pretzle rods
- Fudge (that didn't turn out..  there is a difference between evaporated milk and sweetened condensed.  I buy more of one, and love it so much, I think it should go in EVERYTHING!!  Not in fudge though..  no, no. no.)
- Caramels
- Licorice caramels
- Sugar cookies
- Spritz

Spritz are my fondest childhood memory..  and that is what we call them, some people call them "press cookies" but I like Spritz..  sounds more festive. ;)
I remember my mom making them, every year.  She stored them in the largest Tupperware bowl known to man and it wasn't the fake Tupperware, it was the real stuff here people..  the kind that had the little circle on the lid with the notch cut out, I think to put it on a beaded chain?
We used the ginormous bowl as a booster seat as well.
She made them in red, yellow, and green, decorated them with red hots, and I thoroughly enjoyed eating the dough.
I still do.
There is something that having your own children does to you, especially around the holidays.  I am usually on a mission to learn how to do something just the way my mom did when I was small.  That is what happened  the year I had Lynn.
That was also the year Merrill got me my cookie press for Christmas.
Love that guy!
I bet I could have gotten another dozen or so cookies if I could just keep my hands out of that bowl!
It is an easy recipe, I use my Wilton cookie press to extrude them in the fun shapes.

Spritz

1 cup softened butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of Almond extract
2 1/4 cups flour

Cream together the butter and sugar.  Add eggs Almond extract, and the flour, and mix until it forms a dough.  Chill in the fridge until ready to use.  You can either roll in waxed paper, then slice and bake on a cookie sheet, or you can use a cookie press.

Red hots to embellish make them that much cuter and yummy!

Bake at 300 for 6-8 minutes

I love these things..  but I love pretty much anything with Almond extract in it.
My StazOn ink smells like Almond extract..  I get hungry for Spritz while I scrap sometimes for SOME reason. ;)

Mmmmmm... Eclairs.

I made these beauties for the ward party on Saturday..

I was in a mood I tell ya...

Apparently, they didn't last.  I have to make more and drop them on the appropriate doorsteps. :)

I used this recipe, but instead of spreading, I used my small cookie scooper, dropped them on a greased cookie sheet, baked for 20 minutes at 400, let them cool, and filled them using my gi-hugant piping bag and tip.  I frosted some with my favorite chocolate icing, but left some plain..  well, except for the dusting of powdered sugar, that is.

Traditions: Rolls

This month's theme for "Flavor of the Month" (okay last month theme really..) was "Traditions".  I was all ready and very excited for this theme, and my computer was not.

Windows Vista is not my friend, and never was, really.

Now that I am back up and running, here is my contribution, a day late. :)

It is only the best roll recipe EVER!!  It has become a tradition of sorts..  if it weren't already, I would certainly make them one.

Over Night Rolls

Heat, then cool 1 cup of milk and 1/2 cup of butter or margarine.  In a separate, small bowl (I use my Pyrex measuring cup) mix 1 tablespoon of yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Moisten with a little warm water (like 1/4 cup) to activate the yeast.
In a large bowl, beat 3 eggs, then add 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt.  Add the mil mixture, yeast, and 4 cups of flour.  Stir well.
No need to knead.
Cover and let rise overnight.
Next morning, divide the dough.  Roll into two circles on a floured board and cut the circles into 16 triangles (much like a pizza).  Brush with melted butter or margarine and roll into a crescent shape.
Let rise 4-5 hours and bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

It might seem like quite a bit of time to some, but well worth it!
I have memories of the smell of this dough filling the house on Sundays, tantalizing my taste buds during church..  I am so glad my kiddos enjoy them just as much now as I do.

Eclair Cake..

 I am a lover of all that is sweet.
I am also a lover of Eclairs.  My mom has been making them for as long as I can remember.  There are people in my old neighborhood, who would do ANYTHING if my mom's eclairs were promised.
Now, I don't know how authentic they are..  but I do know how authentically delicious they are.
The only problem with an Eclair is that it has the tendency to explode on you.
That is where this recipe is awesome.
No unexpected explosions.

Cream puff:

1 cup water
1/2 cup margarine or butter (I have used both)
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
4 eggs

Bring water, butter, and salt to a boil.  Add flour all at once, while stirring vigorously over heat.  Continue stirring until mixture forms a ball.  Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.  If you do not let it cool long enough, in the next step you'll end up with scrambled eggs in your crust, instead of the nice air pockets..  just be patient.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Spread into a greased 9x13 pan, and bake at 425 for 15 minutes.  Reduce heat to 350 and bake for an additional 15 minutes.  It is done when the tops are golden, and it makes a hollow sound when it is tapped on with fingertips.
Let this part cool well.

Filling:

1 large box of INSTANT vanilla pudding
2 cups of milk
1 8 oz. bar of cream cheese

Prepare pudding using two cups of milk, and set aside.
In another, larger bowl, beat the cream cheese until well softened.  Add the pudding to the cream cheese, 1/4 -1/3 at a time, mixing well between each addition of pudding so the mixture is smooth, not lumpy.  Spread this over the top of the cooled cream puff crust.  Top it with your favorite whipped topping and drizzle with chocolate syrup.
Cut, serve, and enjoy some Eclair yumminess without explosions!

I have a blue tongue.. (Recipe for Sugar Cookies)

I do indeed..
It all started with a tradition of sorts. Brooke and I started it the summer of MiKell's first cheer camp, making sugar cookies themed around the cheer sport and school colors.
We just keep on going with it because MiKell keeps going on cheering!
I also found a new use for my fabric cutting guide (a.k.a. clear ruler)..


Perfect for cutting square sugar cookies without wasting dough, and, well, because I don't have a square cutter! :)
Pizza cutters are awesome as well..
See how the lines make everything perfectly square?


Like the BHS cheerleaders will measure these babies before munching them.. make sure they are square. Ha!
I used a flooding technique for the frosting.
Brooke introduced me to a new blog that is mighty inspirational!


My first idea (plan A) to do the lettering didn't quite work out, so I had to move on to a different idea (plan 2 :D) and form the letters, each one, individually, by hand, one at a time..
Am I getting across the point that this was more time intensive than I thought?
Ah, they turned out cute.


The cheerleaders (or cheater-leaders as my girls like to call them) loved them.

The recipe comes from Merrill side of the family, by far THE BEST sugar cookie recipe my mouth has ever drooled over, and on..
I will share:
Because I am nice that way ;)

1 cup softened butter (I use margarine and it works too..)
1 cup shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar

Cream the butter, shortening, and granulated sugar. After it's nice and creamy, add the powdered sugar, vanilla and eggs. Sift together the remaining ingredients, and add slowly.
Roll to desired thickness on a loured surface (our house likes between 1/4 inch and 1/2 inch). Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 375 for 7 1/2 to 8 minutes. Cool and then frost!

Oh, here's the proof of the blue tongue.. and the fact that I ate too much frosting, too late last night..

48..

..that was just the cupcakes!!
I have been super busy, room mom stuff.. a 1st birthday party.. many Valentine projects for friends and family.. and yes.. that Diet Coke in the background, really helped me through it all :)
..but sadly, no scrapping.. :(
Hopefully I'll get some done this next week!!
I do have 10 left for the month..

Fresh Peach Cobbler

I completely forgot I bought peaches earlier this week! I had to use them... what better way!?

Fruit Cobbler:

3 cups sliced fruit
2 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Place fruit in a greased 8x8 or 9x9 pan. Melt butter and add sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Mix well and spread over fruit, then top with this mixture:

1 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup oil
1 egg

As usual, mix dry and then add wet. Cover the entire top of fruit and sugar mixture and bake at 375 for 25-30 minutes. We love to eat it warm with vanilla ice cream.

Spanky's Favorite: Marshmallow Brownies

Marshmallow Brownies

1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
3/4 cup flour

Combine dry ingredients in one bowl. In another bowl, melt butter in microwave. Add sugar and vanilla. Pour in with dry ingredients and add eggs. Mix well, but not too much, should still be lumpy. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes. After baking them, turn oven off so it is still warm. Arrange mini marshmallows in a single layer on top of the brownies and put pan back in oven long enough for the marshmallows to melt. Remove from oven and let cool. Frost with favorite chocolate frosting.

This an' That... (Oatmeal Scotchies)

I did not get to play today... rainy days call for snuggling and a good movie, Lynn picked "Superman /returns"... Ash has a little crush on the "S" dude.
We did make these yummy cookies:Oatmeal Scotchies
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups old fashioned or quick oats
1 2/3 cup butterscotch chips

Cream butter, shortening and sugars together. Add vanilla and eggs. Mix well. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients, except chips. Add this mixture to the wet mixture gradually. Mix in chips last. Bake in oven at 375 for 7-8 minutes for chewy cookies, 9-10 for crisp cookies. Let cool and enjoy!
And here's a couple of projects I did last week...

Whoopie Pies...

Here's a Favorite...
Maybe I should keep it "Top Secret", but the world deserves to know...Cake part:
1 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs YOLKS (don't toss the whites!)
1 cup soured milk (1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice)
1 cup HOT water + 2 teaspoons baking soda (soda dissolved in water)
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cream the shortening and sugar. Add the yolks one at a time, and mix until well incorporated. Add the milk mixture, cocoa, and flour. Add the soda/water mixture while mixing. Drop by teaspoonfuls (I like to use my Pampered Chef cookie dough scoop) onto a greased cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 8-10 minutes. Let cool.

Creme:
2 egg WHITES (see, they come into play...)
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups shortening
4 tablespoons flour
4 tablespoons milk
dash of salt
Powdered Sugar

Cream all together and add the powdered sugar until the creme reaches a thick, but spreadable, consistency. (I usually use about a pound, sometimes more...)
Match up your cooled cookie halves, and spread creme on one side, place its mate on the other (kinda like an Oreo... but better!). Finish for all! I love to eat more than one at a time well chilled with milk and even stash some in the freezer for those unforgettable PMS days... they make a great breakfast treat too :).
Enjoy!